9 dead, 11 missing as tropical storm batters Philippines

MANILA: OCT. 12 – At least nine people have died and 11 others are missing after severe tropical storm Kompasu triggered flash floods and landslides in the Philippines, the government said on Tuesday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the dead were residents of northern Philippine provinces and Palawan, an island located off Luzon island. Two others were also injured, it added.

The agency said the storm triggered flooding in 15 areas and landslides in four regions, affecting roads and bridges. The storm also displaced more than 1,600 people in at least three regions on Luzon island.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said that at 10 a.m. local time, the storm was spotted 315 km west of Cagayan province in the northeast of Luzon island.

The bureau said the storm was blowing westward northwestward 20 km per hour, packing 100 km per hour winds and gusts of up to 125 km per hour.

It warned that heavy to intense rains were expected over the northern Philippines, further triggering flash floods and rain-induced landslides.

Typhoons and tropical storms regularly batter the Philippines, claiming hundreds of lives and cause billions of dollars in damages.

Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is among the most disaster-prone countries, including active volcanoes, frequent earthquakes, and an average of 20 typhoons a year, causing floods and landslides.

-Xinhua